Earbuds and Headphones Import Duty Calculator India
Customs duty on TWS earbuds, headphones and headsets imported into India, with the 20% BCD, SWS, IGST and landed cost.
https://calculators.nirajiitr.com/logistics/earbuds-import-duty-india
What you are importing
Earbuds and headphones, HS 8518 30 00: Headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone.
Value of the shipment
ECB reference rate of 2026-09-24. Customs uses the CBIC-notified import rate; enter it for an exact figure.
- Assessable value
- ₹11,62,313
- FOB plus default freight and insurance
- Customs duty
- ₹2,55,709
- BCD 20% + SWS 10%
- IGST
- ₹2,55,244
- Claimable as input tax credit if GST-registered
- Cost after IGST credit
- ₹14,18,022
- Goods, freight, insurance69%
- Customs duty15%
- IGST15%
Duty receipt
Earbuds and headphones, HS 8518 30 00, from ChinaThese rates have not yet been checked against the CBIC tariff. Confirm them on ICEGATE or with your customs broker before relying on them.
| Item | Rate | Charged on | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessable value (CIF) | ₹11,62,313 | ||
| Basic Customs Duty | 20% | ₹11,62,313 | ₹2,32,463 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge | 10% | ₹2,32,463 | ₹23,246 |
| IGST | 18% | ₹14,18,022 | ₹2,55,244 |
| Total duty and IGST | 43.96% | ₹5,10,953 | |
| Landed cost | ₹16,73,266 |
Value converted at ₹95.9598 per USD. Excludes anti-dumping, safeguard and countervailing duties, port and handling charges and the customs broker's fee. An estimate, not an assessment.
Rates compiled 2026-09-26.
How it works
Duty is charged on the assessable value: what the goods cost, plus freight and insurance to the Indian port, converted to rupees at the exchange rate customs notifies. When freight or insurance is not known, customs takes them as 20% and 1.125% of the FOB value. Basic Customs Duty and any AIDC are percentages of that value, the Social Welfare Surcharge is a percentage of those duties, and IGST is charged last, on the value with every customs duty added. That stacking is why a 20% duty line costs about 44% in total at an 18% GST rate.
AV = (FOB + F + I) × R; BCD = AV × b; AIDC = AV × a; SWS = (BCD + AIDC) × s; IGST = (AV + BCD + AIDC + SWS) × g- FOB
- Invoice value of the goods at the port of export
- F, I
- Freight and insurance to the Indian port
- R
- Customs exchange rate, ₹ per unit of the invoice currency
- b
- Basic Customs Duty rate, or the preferential rate under a trade agreement
- a
- Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess, on a few lines
- s
- Social Welfare Surcharge, 10% on most lines
- g
- IGST rate for the goods, the same as GST on a domestic sale
Worked example
A shipment of earbuds and headphones from China invoiced at $8,000 FOB (HS 8518 30 00), with freight and insurance not separately known.
- 1At ₹95.96 to the dollar the FOB value is ₹7,67,678; adding 20% freight and 1.125% insurance gives an assessable value of ₹9,29,850
- 2BCD at 20% is ₹1,85,970
- 3SWS at 10% of the customs duty adds ₹18,597
- 4IGST at 18% on ₹11,34,418 is ₹2,04,195
Duty and IGST come to ₹4,08,762, 44.0% of the assessable value, for a landed cost of ₹13,38,613. A GST-registered importer claims the IGST back, leaving ₹11,34,418.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HS code for earbuds and headphones?
Usually 8518 30 00: "Headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone". The last digits can change with material, power or use, and the duty can change with them, so check the full heading against your product before filing.
Do earbuds need BIS registration to import?
Wireless earbuds and headphones are on the Compulsory Registration Scheme, so each model needs BIS registration before shipment. The certificate is in the brand owner's name; a reseller importing someone else's brand relies on the brand's registration and label.
Is a speaker charged the same as headphones?
Loudspeakers sit under a different heading, 8518 22 or 8518 29, and are also at 20% BCD in most cases. A headset with a built-in microphone stays under 8518 30 with headphones.
What is the difference between BCD and IGST?
Basic Customs Duty is a tax on importing: it is a cost to you, and nothing gives it back. IGST is GST charged at the border so imports bear the same tax as goods made in India. A GST-registered business claims it back as input tax credit against the GST it collects on sales, so for a registered reseller the real cost is the value plus customs duty; the calculator shows both.
What is the Social Welfare Surcharge?
A surcharge of 10% on the customs duties, not on the value, so 20% BCD becomes 22% in total. Since 2025, lines where part of the duty moved into AIDC, such as solar modules, gold and silver, are exempt from it so their overall rate did not rise.
Which exchange rate does customs use?
The rate CBIC notifies for imports, published every fortnight, in force on the day the Bill of Entry is filed. It is usually a little above the market rate. The calculator starts from a reference market rate; replace it with the notified rate for an exact figure.
How do I claim a lower duty under a free trade agreement?
Ask the supplier for a certificate of origin issued under the agreement, and claim the preferential rate on the Bill of Entry. Under CAROTAR 2020 you must also hold enough information to show the goods meet the agreement's rules of origin, and customs can deny the rate and ask for the difference if you cannot. Rates vary line by line; where the calculator does not know a line's preferential rate, it charges the standard rate.
Can I bring goods back without paying duty again?
Often, yes. Under Notification 45/2017-Cus, goods exported from India and re-imported within three years pay no duty if they are unchanged and still yours, for example unsold stock returned by a foreign buyer. Goods sent abroad for repair pay duty only on the repair cost, freight and insurance, not their full value.
Does this apply to courier and personal imports?
It applies to commercial shipments, including express courier consignments up to ₹10,00,000. Goods ordered for personal use are assessed under heading 9804 at a single flat rate instead of the product's own line, and genuine gifts up to ₹5,000 sent by post or courier are exempt. Travellers carrying goods in baggage use the baggage allowances, not this calculation.
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